Improvement in hats



w'ILLIAM H. WHITE, or KENT ISLAND, MARYLAND.

IMPROVEMENT lN HATS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No.` 58,329, dated September Q5, 1866.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that l, WILLIAM H. WHITE, of Kent Island,- in the county of Queen Anne and State of Maryland. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hats and Caps; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figures l and 2 represent in perspective the distending-spring frame. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the hat-lining, and Fig. 4 a vertical section of a hat to which my improvements are applied.

The object of my invention is to stretch and holdin shape the crown and` body of a hat or cap made of any thin and light textile or other suitable fabric; and the said invention principally consists in the employment for this purpose of an adjustable and detachable distending-spring frame, which, when placed in the body of the hat, will, on account of the constant tendency of the spring to expand, keep the material of which the hat-crown is composed perfectly tight and smooth, and sup port the whole body and crown in proper position. Thisframe consists of two hoops connected by a spring, which may be of spiral or other suitable shape. Both the spring and the hoops which it connects I make preferably of the lightest steel wire, so that the frame, although of comparativelybut little weight, shall be highly elastic, springy, and at the same time com pressible.

My invention also consists in the employment of what I call a detachable head and crown liningand supporter, which may be used either in connection with the spring frame above described or separately therefrom.

In order to make this head and crown lining, any suitable fabric for lining the hat is taken and formed into a cylindrical shape to tit around the interior of the body or sides of the hat. Around the top of this cylindrical piece is then secured the fabric which is to form the crown-lining, furnished around its upper part with a draw casing and strings. A light metal or other hoop of suitablesize is then placed in the lining so that it shall be just above the seam which joins the two pieces together. The top or crown lining is then drawn together tightly over the hoop by means of the draw-casing and strings, the hoop being prei vented from moving by means ofthe seam referred to, which forms a ange or shoulder for holding it in place when the crown-lining is tightened. This shoulder may be furnished with a draw-casing and strings, if desired. The sides of this lining are placed and held between the sweat-band and side or body of the hat, and may be `secured in this position by means of buttons, hook and eye, or other suitable means, which will readily suggest themselves.

The principal object I have in view in con- 'structin g this head and crown lining is to produce a lining which shall answer all the purposes for which a hat-lining is required, and at the saine time be easily detachable from the hat, so that the latter may be washed whenever it becomes soiled; but this lining also assists, ina degree, the springframe above described to support the crown, the hoop in the crown-lining serving to fill out and stretch the sides as well as the crown of the hat.

Having given the general characteristics of my invention, I will now proceed to a more particular description of the same, with referA ence to the accompanying drawings.

In Figs. 1 and 2 two forms of distendingspring frame are shown. In Fig. 1 the springs a, which connect the two hoops b and c, are bent in an angular form. Instead of the two springs there employed, three or more, placed at suitable distances from one another, may p be used with equally good effect. In Fig. 2 the spring d .is made of a spiral or helical form. The frame should be of such size that when fully distended it exceeds in height the crown of the hat to which it is applied, so that when compressed within the sides and crown of the hat it will, by its constant tendency to expand, keep the crown well stretched las seen in Fig. 4, and will adjust itself to the shrinking or stretching of the fabric of which the hat is composed. The hoops b and c should be made with their ends sliding in loops or clamps x, by means of which the size of the hoops is increascd'or lessened to suit the dimensions of the hat in which they are used. I am thus enabled to make but one size of frame for all sizes of hats, the saidv frames being adjusted to any hat' by simply contracting or cnlargin g the hoops.

`of the springs a a, is pressed strongly against the crown g'. The sweat-band h, which eX- tends up a suitable distance on the inside of the hat, also serves to keep the lower hoop in place. When it is desired to remove the frame from the hat the sweat-band is turned down, and the frame, without the least difficulty, is taken out. l

The head and crown lining and supporter is shown in perspective in Fig. 3 and in vertical section in Fig. 4. The fabric of which it is made may be any thin material, such as is used for hat-lining. It is formed so as to fit the interior of the hat to which it is to be applied. At a suitable height above the lower edge of the lining is run a seam, k, which may have a draw-casing and strings, if preferred,

so as to form a ange or shoulder in which t0 hold the hoop l, (shown in dotted lines,) over which the top of the lining is drawn. The upper edge of the lining is provided with a drawcasing and strings, n. When the lining is to be put in the hat the hoop l is first placed so as to rest upon the shoulder, formed as described, and then the draw-stringsn are tightened until the top of the lining is contracted and drawn in tightly over the hoop. The 1ining is then placed inside the hat in the position shown in Fig. 4, the sides r of the lining being between the sweat-band and sides of the hat, while the hoop is supported by being placed between the hoop b of the spring-frame and the hat-crown.

The lining maybe arranged otherwise with equal facility by letting `the sides i' rest upon the shoulder m, thus bringing the hoop l down below the top of the spring-frame. The hoop Z, if it is desired, may have some thin fabric,

p, stretched over it, as shown in Fig. 4, thus improving the appearance of the hat.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

l. As a frame for shaping hats and caps made of soft or limber material, the combination of the crown and rim hoops with a distending-spring, which at the same time shall admit of being compressed, so that the two hoops may be brought into juxtaposition, as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination of the distending-spring, as above set forth, with the adjustable crown and rim hoops, so arranged that theframe may be adjusted to hats of diii'erent dimensions, as herein shown and described. I

3. In combination with the hat or cap lining provided at itsu upper end with draw-casing and strings,has described, the hoop or form for shaping the top of the lining, as herein shown and set forth.

In testimony whereof l have signed my name to this specification before two subsoribin g wit! nesses. y

WM. H. WHITE.

Witnesses:

EDM. F. BROWN, Jos. L. GooMBs. 

